This application relates to mechanical sensors for sensing electromagnetic fields.
A material with an electromagnetic polarization can interact with a radiation field and may move, e.g., oscillate around an equilibrium position, due to the interaction. The movement of the material may be measured or monitored for a variety of applications including, among others, imaging and spectroscopy. In particular, this force-induced motion caused by electromagnetic interaction may be used to provide non-destructive measurements with high spatial resolution and high detection sensitivity. Examples of this type of devices include the scanning tunneling microscope, atomic force microscope, and near-field scanning optical microscope.
This application includes sensing devices and techniques based on motion of a mechanical oscillator caused by electromagnetic interaction, such as a magnetic polarization with a magnetic field or an electric polarization with an electric field. Such devices may be used to detect or measure an electromagnetic field such as a RF signal or to detect or measure a sample which may have an inherent polarization or may be polarized in an external electromagnetic field.